What Your Favorite Cocktail Says About the Wine You Might Like (Even If You “Don’t Like Wine”)

I have a friend who LOVES Negronis.
Now, if you’ve never had a Negroni before, imagine somebody took orange peel, bitterness, sadness and rubbing alcohol and stirred it together over ice. Apparently this is sophisticated. She’s Italian, drinks espresso like water, and I’m pretty sure they permanently damaged her taste buds as a child.
One day on a cruise, she convinced me to try one. The second it touched my tongue, I looked at her in horror while she stared at me waiting for my reaction and I said: “It tastes like my mouth will never be happy again.”

She was genuinely confused. “What? What is wrong?” THAT was the moment I started realizing people’s taste buds are wildly different and what one person considers “smooth with herbal complexity,” another person considers “burning tire fire with notes of regret.”

Which got me thinking…

Maybe your favorite cocktail actually says something about the kinds of wine you might enjoy.
Now before the wine experts come for me with tasting notes and oak percentages, this is not science. This is vibes. But I do think there are similarities in flavor profiles that can help people feel less intimidated when they walk into a vineyard.

Because here’s the thing nobody (but me) tells you: You do not have to become a “wine person” to enjoy vineyards. Honestly? Everyone who knows me knows I don’t consider myself a wine person. I do NOT drink wine unless I'm at a vineyard: not at home, not out to dinner, not on a cruise, unless it's the only option. BUT  I LOVE vineyards. I love the scenery, the atmosphere, the adult field trip energy, the relaxing afternoons with friends, the live music, the snacks, the “we’re outside and nobody can ask me to fold laundry right now” feeling. The wine is secondary.

I tend to gravitate toward semi-sweet whites and sweeter reds. I’ve evolved past the super sweet Moscatos, but I still like wines that feel approachable and refreshing instead of tasting like somebody somebody strained wine through a campfire. Give me a good Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, a not-too-sweet Reisling, a Gewurztraminer (that's just fun to say) or a nice blend and I’m happy.

What I absolutely cannot do is an oaked Chardonnay, every single one tastes like I’m standing in a burning building. Unoaked or steel casked Chardonnay though? Delicious.

So if you’re somebody who says “I don’t like wine,” maybe you just haven’t found YOUR wine yet.

Here are some VERY unofficial observations I’ve made:

• If you love frozen daiquiris, fruity cocktails or piña coladas, Sun Cruisers, Surfsides or Trulys you’ll probably enjoy sweeter whites, fruit wines or wines with tropical fruit notes.
• If you’re a vodka soda person or White Claws, you may naturally gravitate toward crisp, refreshing wines like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
• Margarita drinkers usually seem to appreciate citrusy, acidic wines that have that same refreshing bite.
• Whiskey and bourbon drinkers often enjoy bold reds or oaky wines because they like warmth, spice, smoke and complexity.

And Negroni drinkers? You people are probably out there happily drinking dry reds with words like “earthy” and “tobacco notes” and honestly I support your journey even if I don’t understand it.

Of course there are exceptions. I LOVE espresso martinis and somehow still prefer sweeter white wines, so clearly this system has flaws.

But I think the bigger point is this: You don’t have to force yourself to like dry reds to enjoy a vineyard tour, You don’t have to swirl your glass dramatically and say things like “I’m getting hints of wet stone” and you don’t have to know what tannins are.

Half the fun is figuring out what YOU like.

Vineyards have become so much more approachable over the years. Many have beer, cider, cocktails, mocktails and food. Sometimes when I know I’m going to spend an entire day at a vineyard festival, I’ll even bring club soda or fruit and juice and make myself a little sangria situation (sans brandy).

There are no rules here (except you aren't allowed to bring your own alcohol!)

My philosophy has always been: Start with a spritzer if you need to. Add a little club soda. Ease your taste buds into it. And after the first glass, you've killed your tastebuds so you don’t taste it anyway, LOL. After that, it’s all vibes and really, that’s what people are chasing when they book vineyard tours in the first place - I hope!

Not just wine: The friendships, the laughter, the pretty scenery, the feeling of being taken care of for a day, the escape from responsibilities, the “we’re fancy ladies at a winery” energy, the adult field trip vibes. The wine is just part of the experience.

So if you’ve ever said “I don’t like wine,” I’d still love to take you to a vineyard.
We’ll find something you like.
And if not?
We can always add club soda, we'll ease you in. (or beer, or cider, or get the zero proof package!)